US vice president meets Qatari premier on Iran war at White House

US Vice President JD Vance held a closed-door meeting on Friday with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani at the White House to discuss ongoing negotiations with Iran.

“During the meeting, they reviewed the close strategic cooperation relations between the State of Qatar and the United States of America, along with ways to support and enhance them across various fields, and discussed the latest developments in the regional situation, as well as the Pakistani mediation aimed at de-escalation to contribute to bolstering security and stability in the region,” Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The prime minister stressed the importance of all parties responding constructively to mediation efforts, the ministry added.

He expressed the necessity for all parties “to respond to the ongoing mediation efforts in a manner that opens the door to addressing the roots of the crisis through peaceful means and dialogue, leading to the achievement of a comprehensive agreement that realizes lasting peace in the region.”

Prior to departing for Washington, Sheikh Mohammed, who also serves as Qatar’s foreign minister, told the Al-Araby Al-Jadeed news outlet that there is a “high possibility of reaching a diplomatic solution” to end the war.

“We are encouraged by the positive progress taking place in the exchange of messages between Washington and Tehran, and there are indicators of this,” he said.

Regional tensions intensified after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, prompting retaliatory attacks by Tehran and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to secure a lasting agreement. The truce was later extended by US President Donald Trump without a specified deadline.

Since April 13, the US has enforced a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the strategic waterway.

ANEWS wp:paragraph